Posts Tagged ‘beaded jewelry’
Beaded Cabochon Jewelry Heaven
I adore the look of beaded cabochon jewelry. I had done quite a bit of it some time ago, but things got in the way and I kept putting off and putting off getting back into it. I mean, all you have to do is stare at Sherri Serafini's work and get intimidated (but she does absolutely gorgeous work).
I've been cleaning out my workspace, and I stumbled upon some cabs I bought, oh, I'll say 5 years ago and already glued to the backing...and that's where I stopped.
Then I found some lovely cabs I bought at a gem show maybe 4 years ago, and they have likewise been sitting around. (I swear, sometimes I thought I could hear a faint "make me into jewelry" cry coming from that corner of my office...)
And let's not discuss all the dichroic cabs I bought maybe 3 years ago....
Are you sensing a pattern here? 
Back to Beaded Cabochons
Beaded Cabochon (Seashell)
I figured it was time that I actually do something. So I've been beading up a storm!
Remember the seashells I gathered a couple months ago? Well I've been going wild with them -- they are so much fun! To the right is a necklace I made with one of the seashells.
(I've got a few more glued to backing, waiting their turn as well.)
Got a hot pink agate cab that I am working on, but am waiting for some more supplies to come in so I can finish it (I'll post a photo when I am done).
Naturally, one of the dichroic cabs is being worked on, while I am waiting on the supplies for the pink one.
Can-Can Cabochon
And here's another, done up in turquoise color. I'm thinking the cab is howlite (dyed), but who knows what the bead nuggets are; all I know is that for the price I paid, they are definitely not geniune turquoise!
(If you're interested, I've got an ebook tutorial for making these necklaces.)
Cabs, Cabs and More Cabs
One of my favorite cabs I have ever bought, an ocean jasper, broke in my hands. I got that one at a gem show, and I should have known to not get one that thin. I still have some ideas for it, though, since it's so pretty!
And I have ordered more cabs from ebay, as I have an idea for a beaded cab bracelet (among other things). When all of those cabs get in, I'll take some photos for you to see.
Well, guess I should quit writing and go get beading! Catch you later with more photos.
Viking Knit Chain Photos
I know it's been longer than I had planned, to get you these viking knit chain photos, but I've finally had a chance to sit down and catalog what I had, and what you might like to see.
Viking Knit Bracelet (Click to Enlarge)
First off, I've been making mostly bracelets, along with some necklaces. So far, no earrings (that's my next project). This first bracelet looks rather plain at first glance. But when you hold it in your hand, it looks like copper lace. And it's nice and light and oh-so-comfortable.
Next is a bracelet I decided a little more color. So, I've incorporated seed and lampwork beads in this particular piece of jewelry.
Beaded Viking Knit Bracelet (Click to Enlarge)
I had a whole lot of fun with it. Of course, I had to include some of my own lampwork beads while I was at it. I've gotten lots of compliments on it, how it looks like the seed beads have been woven into a net.
(BTW, I have included instructions for a similar bracelet in my Intro to Viking Knit tutorial.)
OK, what next? Hmmm, time for a necklace perhaps?
This particular necklace uses viking knit as the background, with the wire-wrapped pendant as the focal.
Viking Knit Necklace and Pendant
I have a blast doing these free-form pendants! I've always had a problem with them though; they are substantial in size and need a chain that is equally substantial. And viking knit fits in nicely!
But a viking knit chain doesn't need to be relegated to just the background, not at all!
Although viking knit can be a necklace all by itself, it can be equally intriguing when different gauges and styles of viking knit chain are incorporated in the same piece.
I have a work in progress there I've mixed 24 gauge single knit and 26 gauge double knit -- looks kind of cool so far!
So far I've used copper, artistic wire, brass and also am working in silver. I have some gold-filled wire, but I haven't decided what to do with it yet (seeing as it's so very expensive these days). I'm sure sooner or later an idea will come to me and I'll dig into my stash of gold-filled.
Viking Knit Bracelet -- Flight of the Bumblebee
Here's something that I call "Flight of the Bumblebee" which turned out very interesting indeed! You see, when I grabbed my wire, both the brass and the black wire were supposed to be 26 gauge. That being the case, I figured I'd do some double-knit.
Well, if the brass was 26 gauge, I'll buy and eat a hat! So my brass portions are thicker than the black (which really was 26 gauge). At any rate, it's a cool look and it feels really neat!
In fact, I may dig into my small stash of gold-filled wire and do a mix of it with sterling silver. Hmmmm......
That's it for the moment; more later!
Making a Vintage Beaded Necklace
Making a vintage beaded necklace isn't as strange as it first may sound. Vintage kind of means "old", and how can you make something old?
By making a necklace from vintage beads and findings, of course! And you don't need to pay an arm and a leg for them either, if you know where to find them.
I made this particular vintage beaded necklace with beads taken from various necklaces from the 60's and 70's. It's all done in shades of pink, purple, magenta and white. Some of the beads are shiney, some are matte. The clasp is also vintage, and it's adjustable.
Finding the Supplies
Ah, finding the vintage bead supplies is actually much easier than you think. I haunt the vintage jewelry section on ebay and look for necklaces from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I'm checking for necklaces made with pretty beads and unusual clasps. Yes, I take it all apart and reuse!
I have found some gorgeous crystal necklaces with wonderful 2 and 3 strand clasps. And while the crystals are probably not Swarovski, they do glimmer and shine. And I have found them in some very unusual shapes as well.
I've had my share of disappointments as well. A necklace that I thought was going to be a real beauty turned out to be pretty sad.
But on the other hand, I've always been able to salvage something. And I have had some that I thought were just nice turn out to be knockouts!
And I rarely pay more than $3 for a double-strand necklace, from which I get beads and a clasp and sometimes earrings to boot!
Keep in mind that vintage also tends to mean plated, when it comes to clasps and spacers. Still, some of the plating includes a rhodium finish which still glows bright.
In this particular necklace, I chose to use some gold plated findings, most of which were harvested from other necklaces.
Hunt Down Those Vintage Beads for Your Own Necklace!
Check out yard sales and for that matter - your own jewelry box (who knows what's lurking in its depths)!
I get 95% of my vintage beads and findings from ebay, so I'll leave you with some goodies to ponder.
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 VINTAGE COLORFUL BEAD NECKLACE JEWELRY LOT TORSADE MULTI STRAND  US $26.99
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 VINTAGE MOD 6 WHITE BEAD NECKLACES JEWELRY LOTGLASSPLASTICWIREDGPFX PEARL US $24.99
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Making Beaded Jewelry – When You’ve Run Out of Supplies
Making beaded jewelry is fun, unless you have run out of supplies. And if in today's economy you can't afford more at the moment, what do you do?
As for me, I take a look at what I've made and rarely worn. Time to disassemble and create something new!
What to Choose?
As I mentioned, the first thing I do is look for jewelry that I made and have only worn once or twice (or in some cases...never). No, I don't particularly like taking apart my "babies", but on the flip side -- I love creating something new!
And honestly, if I don't wear it (and don't really expect to in the future), why not take it apart? It's doing no good sitting in the jewelry box.
When you are hungry for beading supplies, it can be a treasure-trove.
(Re) Making Beaded Jewelry
OK, I have two necklaces that I am eying. One is primarily pearls and Swarovski. The other has gemstone beads, sterling spacers, gemstone chips and Czech beads. I've rarely worn one of them. The other I used to wear a lot, but haven't put on for at least 5 years. I'd say they are ripe for redux.
So, let me take 'em both apart. I'm probably create just one necklace out of the two. I will add in a few of my lampwork beads that I just found this morning (whoo-hoo!).
So, I'll post what I come up with -- let's see if I can manage to make something interesting.
Meanwhile, if you do have some spare change for more beads, here are some you might like.
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 BFB HANDMADE LAMPWORK BEADS BLUE LAGOON US $5.50
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 Faceted Blue Dichroic Lampwork Glass European Beads 5PC US $3.99
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 16mm Lake Blue Flower Lampwork Glass Loose Beads 15L US $4.49
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 Blue Pink Murano Lampwork Glass Flower Loose Beads 30PC US $6.88
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 12 GORGEOUS SRA Handmade Lampwork Beads Blue and Pink with White Swirls TBDL US $9.95
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